In a surprising ruling last week, Judge Engoron found former President Donald Trump liable for widespread fraud and revoked licenses for some of his flagship properties, including Trump Tower and the Trump International Hotel. This ruling sets the stage for determining the punishments Trump will face, which could include a $250 million fine and a ban on running businesses in the state. Trump and his lawyers were caught off guard by the ruling and have been working to understand its implications for his businesses. Trump has responded by calling the judge “unhinged” and a “political hack” who needs to be stopped.
The trial will focus on the fraudulent inflation of Trump’s net worth between 2014 and 2021. It will explore how Trump and his businesses used this false information to secure favorable terms from banks and insurance companies, potentially committing insurance fraud and gaining tax benefits. The trial will also determine the financial penalties Trump must pay, with Attorney General Tish James seeking $250 million in penalties. Additionally, James is seeking a lifetime bar on the Trump family from serving as officers or directors in any New York companies, as well as a five-year bar on Trump or his company from entering real estate acquisitions.
This civil fraud trial is just the beginning of a series of legal battles Trump will face in the coming months. He will also face a federal defamation trial brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, a federal class action lawsuit accusing him and his company of promoting a pyramid scheme, a federal criminal trial for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, a New York state criminal trial brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, and another federal criminal trial concerning the mishandling of classified documents. Despite not being required to attend the civil trial, Trump may be called to testify by the attorney general.
